U.S. patent application number 16/252508 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-23 for folding knife.
This patent application is currently assigned to Cold Steel, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Cold Steel, Inc.. Invention is credited to Andrew Demko, Mike Wallace.
Application Number | 20200230830 16/252508 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 71610363 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-23 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200230830 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Demko; Andrew ; et
al. |
July 23, 2020 |
FOLDING KNIFE
Abstract
A folding knife has an elongated blade having a pivot end and an
opposed free end, the pivot end of the blade pivotally connected to
a handle, the blade being movable between a closed position in
which the blade is protectively received by the handle and an open
position in which the blade extends away from the handle, a back
lock element pivotally connected to the handle and having a block
portion, the back lock element movable between a locked position in
which the block portion operably contacts a portion of the pivot
end of the blade to prevent movement of the blade from the open
position to the closed position, and an unlocked position in which
movement of the blade from the open position to the closed position
is enabled, and a safety element movable between an engaged
position and a disengaged position.
Inventors: |
Demko; Andrew; (Wampum,
PA) ; Wallace; Mike; (New Castle, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cold Steel, Inc. |
Ventura |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Cold Steel, Inc.
Ventura
CA
|
Family ID: |
71610363 |
Appl. No.: |
16/252508 |
Filed: |
January 18, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B26B 1/042 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B26B 1/04 20060101
B26B001/04 |
Claims
1. A folding knife comprising: an elongated blade having a pivot
end and an opposed free end; the pivot end of the blade pivotally
connected to a handle; the blade being movable between a closed
position in which the blade is protectively received by the handle
and an open position in which the blade extends away from the
handle; a back lock element pivotally connected to the handle and
having a block portion; the back lock element movable between a
locked position in which the block portion operably contacts a
portion of the pivot end of the blade to prevent movement of the
blade from the open position to the closed position, and an
unlocked position in which movement of the blade from the open
position to the closed position is enabled; a safety element
movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; when
the blade is in the open position the safety element being
configured when in the engaged position to contact the back lock
element and to prevent the back lock element from moving to the
unlocked position, and when the safety element is in the disengaged
position to enable movement of the back lock element to the
unlocked position to enable movement of the blade to the closed
position.
2. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the handle is an elongated
body defining a major axis, and wherein the safety element is
movable along the major axis.
3. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the back lock element is
biased to the locked position.
4. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the back lock element is a
planar body having opposed major faces and a peripheral profile,
and wherein the safety element is clear of the peripheral profile
when in the disengaged position and overlapping the peripheral
profile when in the engaged position.
5. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the back lock element is
pivotally connected to the handle at a lock pivot point at an
intermediate position on the back lock element, and wherein the
back lock element is moved to the unlocked position by application
of pressure to a rear portion of the back lock element away from
the blade with respect to the lock pivot point, such that a forward
portion of the back lock element moves away from the pivot portion
of the blade when the back lock element is moved to the unlocked
position.
6. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the back lock element has
an actuator surface external to the handle.
7. The folding knife of claim 6 wherein the handle defines a safety
aperture with a portion of the safety element inside the handle and
a portion extending through the safety aperture to the actuator
surface.
8. The folding knife of claim 1 wherein the back lock element and
the blade occupy a common planar layer of the knife, and wherein
the safety element is outside the common planar layer except for a
protrusion extending into the common planar layer.
9. The folding knife of claim 8 wherein the back lock element
defines a protrusion receptacle configured to receive the
protrusion when the safety element is in the disengaged position
and the back lock element is in the unlocked condition.
10. The folding knife of claim 8 wherein the back lock element has
a safety engaging surface configured to contact the protrusion when
the safety element is in the engaged position and the back lock
element is in the locked position to prevent movement of the back
lock element to the unlocked position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to knives, and more
particularly to a folding knife that features a rocker lock with a
secondary safety that when engaged makes the rocker lock enormously
resistant to shock and impact.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Back lock knives are a popular style of folding pocket
knives. "Back lock" refers to a blade locking mechanism featuring a
rocker arm pivotally positioned on the spine of the handle. The
rocker arm includes a head portion that is spring-biased to engage
a notch on the blade's tang, thereby locking the blade open. The
knife's handle has a notch that exposes a rear portion of the
rocker arm. To release the back lock, the user presses the exposed
portion of the rocker arm downwards, which pivots the rocker arm to
disengage the head portion from the notch on the blade's tang,
thereby enabling the blade to close. In the closed position, the
head portion of the rocker arm engages a separate portion of the
blade's tang to releasably secure the blade in the closed position.
One disadvantage of back lock folding knives is that the user must
use two hands to most easily and safely close a back lock folding
knife. This can be inconvenient when the user wants to close the
knife while simultaneously holding onto the object being cut. A
serious disadvantage of back lock folding knives is that
inadvertent depression of the rocker arm, or extreme force exerted
upon the blade, can cause the head portion of the rocker arm to be
dislodged from the notch on the blade's tang, enabling the blade to
close unintentionally. Inadvertent closure of the blade could lead
to serious injury to the user.
[0003] Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved folding
knife that features a rocker lock with a secondary safety that when
engaged makes the rocker lock enormously resistant to shock and
impact. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present
invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In
this respect, the folding knife according to the present invention
substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of
the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily
developed for the purpose of featuring a rocker lock with a
secondary safety that when engaged makes the rocker lock enormously
resistant to shock and impact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides an improved folding knife,
and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of
the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present
invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail,
is to provide an improved folding knife that has all the advantages
of the prior art mentioned above.
[0005] To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present
invention essentially comprises an elongated blade having a pivot
end and an opposed free end, the pivot end of the blade pivotally
connected to a handle, the blade being movable between a closed
position in which the blade is protectively received by the handle
and an open position in which the blade extends away from the
handle, a back lock element pivotally connected to the handle and
having a block portion, the back lock element movable between a
locked position in which the block portion operably contacts a
portion of the pivot end of the blade to prevent movement of the
blade from the open position to the closed position, and an
unlocked position in which movement of the blade from the open
position to the closed position is enabled, a safety element
movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; when
the blade is in the open position the safety element being
configured when in the engaged position to contact the back lock
element and to prevent the back lock element from moving to the
unlocked position, and when the safety element is in the disengaged
position to enable movement of the back lock element to the
unlocked position to enable movement of the blade to the closed
position. There are, of course, additional features of the
invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form
the subject matter of the claims attached.
[0006] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more
important features of the invention in order that the detailed
description thereof that follows may be better understood and in
order that the present contribution to the art may be better
appreciated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a left side view of the current embodiment of the
folding knife constructed in accordance with the principles of the
present invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the current embodiment of the
left frame of the folding knife of FIG. 1 with the right frame
removed with the blade unfolded, the rocker lock locked, and the
safety engaged.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a right side view of the current embodiment of the
left frame of the folding knife of FIG. 1 with the right frame
removed with the blade unfolded, the rocker lock locked, and the
safety disengaged.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a right side view of the current embodiment of the
left frame of the folding knife of FIG. 1 with the right frame
removed with the blade unfolded, the rocker lock unlocked, and the
safety disengaged.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective enlarged view of the current
embodiment of the left frame of the folding knife of FIG. 1 with
the right frame removed with the blade unfolded, the rocker lock
locked, and the safety engaged.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a rear perspective enlarged view of the current
embodiment of the left frame of the folding knife of FIG. 1 with
the right frame removed with the blade partially folded, the rocker
lock unlocked, and the safety disengaged.
[0013] The same reference numerals refer to the same parts
throughout the various figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT
[0014] An embodiment of the folding knife of the present invention
is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
[0015] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the improved folding knife 10 of the
current invention. More particularly, the folding knife has an
elongated handle 12 having a right frame 14 and a left frame 16.
The right frame has a front 18, rear 20, exterior 22, interior 24,
top 26, and bottom 28. The bottom front of the right frame defines
a finger recess 30 that accommodates the user's index finger when
the knife is held in the fully opened position. The front of the
right frame defines a pivot aperture 32. The top middle of the
right frame defines an exposure notch 34. The top rear of the right
frame just behind the exposure notch defines a spring recess 36
that receives a spring 38.
[0016] The left frame 16 has a front 40, rear 42, exterior 44,
interior 46, top 48, and bottom 50. The bottom front of the left
frame defines a finger recess 52 that accommodates the user's index
finger when the knife is held in the fully opened position. The
front of the left frame defines a pivot aperture 54. The top middle
of the left frame defines an exposure notch 56. The exterior just
behind the pivot aperture defines a safety slider slot 58, and the
interior just behind the pivot aperture defines a corresponding,
larger safety plate slot 60. A safety reinforcement 62 is received
in the safety plate slot. The safety reinforcement defines a slot
64. A safety element 66 has a safety slider 68 slidably received in
the safety slider slot and a connected safety plate 70 slidably
received in the slot in the safety reinforcement. The safety
element can be moved forward and rearward within the confines of
the safety slider slot and the slot in the safety reinforcement
plate. The safety slider is an actuator surface external to the
handle 12. The handle is an elongated body defining a major axis
124, and the safety element is movable along the major axis. The
safety slider slot is a safety aperture in the handle that enables
a portion of the safety element (the safety slider) to extend
through the safety aperture and a portion of the safety element
(the safety plate) to be located inside the handle. The safety
plate has a front 72, rear 74, top 76, and bottom 78. The top of
the safety plate includes an inwardly protruding safety button 80.
The front of the safety plate and the front of the slot in the
safety reinforcement plate are rounded to evenly distribute forces
and prevent wear when the front of the safety plate is stopped by
the front of the slot in the safety reinforcement plate.
[0017] A rocker lock pin 82 is received within rocker lock pin
aperture 84 in the right frame 14 and a corresponding rocker lock
pin aperture (not visible) in the left frame 16. The rocker lock
pin apertures are located near the tops 26, 48 of the right and
left frames just forward of exposure notches 34, 56. A rocker
lock/back lock element 86 is pivotally mounted on the rocker lock
pin to connect the rocker lock to the handle 12. The rocker lock
has a forward head portion/block portion 88, and top rear exposed
portion 90, and a bottom 92. The top rear exposed portion of the
rocker lock is exposed by the exposure notches so the user can
depress the top rear exposed portion to raise the forward head
portion of the rocker lock. The spring 38 biases the rocker lock to
the locked position. The rocker lock is a planar body having
opposed major faces and a peripheral profile. The rocker lock is
pivotally connected to the handle at a lock pivot point defined by
the rocker lock pin at an intermediate position on the rocker
lock.
[0018] An elongated blade 94 is pivotally mounted on a blade pivot
pin 114 received in the pivot apertures 32, 54 in the right and
left frames 14, 16. The blade has a tip end/opposed free end 96, a
tang/pivot end 98, a spine edge 100, a cutting-edge 102, a right
face 104, and a left face 106. Thumb studs 108, 110 protrude
outwardly from the right face and left face just below the spine
edge to facilitate blade opening. The spine edge of the tang
defines a notch 112 that is sized to closely receive the forward
head portion 88 of the rocker lock 86 when the blade is in the
open/unfolded position. When the forward head portion of the rocker
lock is received in the notch in the spine edge of the tang, the
blade is locked in the unfolded/open position and cannot be closed.
The tang includes a rounded portion 116 so the forward head portion
of the rocker lock does not interfere with pivoting of the blade
about the blade pivot pin as the blade is folded and
unfolded/closed and opened. The tang also includes a recess 118
that receives the forward head portion of the rocker lock when the
blade is folded/closed (denoted by the dashed lines in FIG. 2),
which causes the blade to provide some resistance to opening when
the safety element is disengaged.
[0019] FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 illustrate the improved folding knife 10
of the current invention with the blade 94 locked in the
unfolded/open position by the rocker lock 86 with the safety
element 66 engaged. The blade extends away from the handle 12 in
the open position. More particularly, the spring 38 has urged the
forward head portion 88 of the rocker lock 86 into engagement with
the notch 112 in the tang 98 of the blade, which prevents the blade
from being folded/closed. The safety element has been slid forward
within the safety slider slot 58 and the slot 64 in the safety
reinforcement plate 62 to the engaged position. In the engaged
position, the safety button 80 is positioned beneath recess 120,
which is a substantially flat region defined by the bottom 92 of
the rocker lock. Thus, the safety element overlaps the peripheral
profile of the rocker lock when in the engaged position. The recess
120 can be viewed as a safety engaging surface configured to
contact the protrusion (the safety button) when the safety element
is in the engaged position and the rocker lock is in the locked
position to prevent movement of the rocker lock to the unlocked
position. With the safety button positioned beneath recess 120, the
top rear exposed portion 90 of the rocker lock is obstructed from
being depressed. As a result, the rocker lock cannot pivot to
disengage the forward head portion from the notch and the tang of
the blade. Thus, the engaged safety element makes the rocker lock
enormously resistant to shock and impact, which prevents
inadvertent folding/closure of the blade. The rocker lock and the
blade occupy a common planar layer of the folding knife 10, and the
safety element is outside the common planar layer except for a
protrusion (the safety button) extending into the common planar
layer.
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates the improved folding knife 10 of the
current invention with the blade 94 locked in the unfolded/open
position by the rocker lock 86 with the safety element 66
disengaged. More particularly, the safety element has been slid
rearward within the safety slider slot 58 and the slot 64 in the
safety reinforcement plate 62 to the disengaged position. In the
disengaged position, the safety button 80 is positioned beneath
recess 122, which is a curved region defined by the bottom 92 of
the rocker lock. Thus, the safety element is clear of the rocker
lock's peripheral profile when in the disengaged position. With the
safety button positioned beneath recess 122, the top rear exposed
portion 90 of the rocker lock is free to be depressed once
sufficient downward force is exerted to overcome the pressure
exerted by spring 38. Thus, although the rocker lock continues to
lock the blade in the unfolded/open position, the user can depress
the top rear exposed portion of the rocker lock to enable the blade
to fold. The recess 122 can be viewed as a protrusion receptacle
configured to receive the protrusion (the safety button) when the
safety element is in the disengaged position and the rocker lock is
in the unlocked condition. Thus, when the blade is in the open
position, the safety element is configured when in the engaged
position to contact the rocker lock to prevent the rocker lock from
moving to the unlocked position, and when the safety element is in
the disengaged position, movement of the rocker lock element to the
unlocked position is enabled to enable movement of the blade to the
closed position. The rocker lock is moved to the unlocked position
by application of pressure to the top rear exposed portion of the
rocker lock away from the blade with respect to the lock pivot
point defined by the rocker lock pin 82, such that the forward head
portion of the rocker lock moves away from the pivot portion/tang
98 of the blade when the rocker lock is moved to the unlocked
position.
[0021] FIGS. 4 and 6 illustrate the improved folding knife 10 of
the current invention with the blade 94 unlocked in the
unfolded/open position (FIG. 4) and in a partially folded position
(FIG. 6) with the safety element 66 disengaged. More particularly,
in FIG. 4 sufficient downward force has been exerted upon the top
rear exposed portion 90 of the rocker lock 86 to overcome the
spring force exerted by spring 38 and pivot the forward head
portion 88 of the rocker lock out of engagement with the notch 112
in the tang 98 of the blade. Once the rocker lock is in this
position, the user can press downward on the spine edge 100 of the
blade to pivot the blade clockwise about the blade pivot pin 114
into the position shown in FIG. 6 to begin folding/closing the
blade. As is shown in FIG. 6, the forward head portion of the
rocker lock rides on the rounded portion 116 of the tang to enable
further pivoting of the blade until the blade reaches the
folded/closed position with the forward head portion of the rocker
lock engaging the recess 118 of the tang. Thus, the rocker lock is
movable between a locked position in which the forward head
portion/block portion operably contacts a portion of the pivot end
of the blade (notch 112 in the tang of the blade) to prevent
movement of the blade from the open position to the closed
position, and an unlocked position in which movement of the blade
from the open position to the closed position is enabled. While the
forward head portion of the rocker lock engages the recess 118 of
the tang, the blade will not open unless sufficient force is
applied to one of the thumb studs 108, 110 to overcome the force
exerted by the spring 38 to disengage the forward head portion of
the rocker lock from the recess 118. If the safety element is slid
forward to the engaged position while the forward head portion of
the rocker lock engages the recess 118 of the tang, the safety
button 80 is again positioned beneath recess 122. While the safety
button is positioned beneath recess 122, the rocker lock cannot
pivot to disengage the forward head portion of the rocker lock from
the recess 118 of the tang, thereby securing the blade in the
folded/closed position even if enough force is applied to either of
the thumb studs to overcome the force exerted by spring 38. In the
folded/closed position, the blade is protectively received in a
channel defined by the interiors 24, 46 of the right and left
frames 14, 16 of the handle 12.
[0022] While a current embodiment of a folding knife has been
described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and
variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true
spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above
description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional
relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations
in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation,
assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one
skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are
intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
[0023] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only
of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous
modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly,
all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to,
falling within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *